The Crackpot Cafe
by Kara Metallium
Summary: Eh. Another FX fict. How original.
1. Xellos?

Here's another fanfiction of mine that I started. I find it easy to start fanfictions, but hard to continue with the plot. What really frustrates me is when I know where I want to go with the story. Yet, getting from point A to point B is an enigma in itself. Gah! 

Enjoy...

Kara Metallium !

P.S.: I don't own Slayers!

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Chapter 1--Xellos? 

"Another day, another coin," Filia murmured to herself as she twirled the silver coin on her finger from her most recent sale. She smiled dreamily at the silver pieces and dropped them into the pocket of her blue dress.

It had been a couple years since the Dark Star campaign and Filia was now comfortably settled. She had a pottery shop that was named The Crackpot Cafe. It was a joke, Filia smiled wryly at the thought, between the trickster priest and herself. But the real reason she had named it thus was to get a reaction out of the purple haired figure. It had been a confusing one to be sure, he had smiled, it seemed genuine, and called her a silly little dragon. Of course, she had promptly called him a _baka namagomi_ and turned her back on him. But still, a joke was a joke, and Filia really didn't have the heart to change the sign.

As said before, Filia had done well for herself. The Crackpot Cafe had become a success in the landlocked village. The area was not far from the mountains and was pleasant with rolling green hills and large trees. Filia sold pottery, taught pottery throwing lessons, and served drinks and baked goods. It was a fun, cheerful little place, nestled safely on a little lane just beyond the market.

Filia hummed a small tune to herself; it was sad, but beautiful. It was the tune of the _One Tin Soldier_. It told of a village in a valley that was jealous of the wealth of a village on a mountain. The valley demanded the riches of the mountain, which promptly told the valley that they'd gladly share it with them. However, the valley was very greedy and waged battle on the unsuspecting mountain village, and everyone was slaughtered. When the valley people came to the rock that the treasure was hid underneath, they were unhappily surprised. Underneath the large rock was an inscription: _Peace on Earth_.

The money jingled in Filia's pocket as she carefully swept her little pottery cafe and cleaned up tables. She finished the dishes in the kitchen and made a bottle of warm milk. Sunset rays filtered through the kitchen window casting rich golden shadows and a slightly chilly summer breeze blew. Filia shut the windows downstairs and headed up to the second floor. The stairs creaked under her dragon weight. She reached the top and turned into the last left door down the hall.

Filia smiled at the sleeping ancient dragon. Val was snuggled in sky blue blankets that contrasted with his sea green hair. Filia went over to the crib and woke the sleeping babe. Val was less than a year old but soon he would start eating food, baby mush. Filia smiled at the demure little dragon that she held. _A perfect angel..._ she thought with a sweet smile. Val finished his meal and Filia set him down in the crib again and wandered into her own room, just across the hall.

Filia stared out her window as the sky faded from the sunset. She sighed. Life was good, but something was missing. Yes, Filia's shop was a success, Jillas was an especially good helper around the house, and Val was the sweetest child Filia had ever known. But she was lonely for love, romantic love.

She thought back to Jillas's Mount Coranay with a snort. her companions had been paired up and the logical partner for her was Xellos. Filia wasn't exactly sure about what she felt for the trickster priest. Yes she had a respect for him, who couldn't after the Dark Star campaign? She had mostly acted and blushed the way she did because she was young and immature. She was very young for a dragon, and therefore impertinent. Suffice it to say, Filia had never really gotten past the outer attitude: _I hate boys because they are icky_. Xellos forced an issue she had never really dealt with. Sure, Xellos had destroyed a golden dragon clan, but that wasn't really the reason Filia was nervous. It was merely a cover. Xellos was too close physically for comfort. He invaded her personal space as it were and just riled her up.

Filia had really hidden a secret fantasy about Xellos. He was handsome and suave, no one could deny that. But no one could really ruffle his feathers. Only Filia, and that took some doing. It frustrated her that someone like him could have virtually no emotions. Perhaps Xellos did, but never showed them. So even if you did surprise him, you'd never know it because it was hidden so well. However, Filia fancied Xellos quite out of character. Denying his exterior facade and taking her up in his arms despite her protests and kissing her senseless. The idea ran shivers down her spine.

Yes, she needed a man who would ignore her protests and just kiss her. Xellos would never do that, it was just his character. To expect him to do that was like Filia saying _Sore wa himitsu desu_ and giving a genki smile. No, Xellos could not really excite Filia the way she wanted. She was disappointed really. One who had that much power could certainly afford to be aggressive. But no, he was forever the trickster, a hermit pulling strings to amuse himself. The world was his puppet, as long as he played nice according to his decrepit dark lord's rules. Stupid lord that lived in the north or some such nonsense

Filia longed to say his name aloud, but wishing aloud for Xellos was like wishing for cockroaches. Once he came, he never left. Filia couldn't want him here. He just caused her pain, she wanted fantasy Xellos, the one who was aggressive and passionately loved her. She didn't want real Xellos, the mazoku who was nonchalant about everything and wasn't assertive when needed.

Filia sighed in frustration and tugged at her long bangs wrapped around her finger. It was dark now and Filia was sitting in the dark. "Light" and the room was illuminated in a soft glow. Filia changed for the night and laid down in her bed and drifted off to sleep.

Filia was dimly aware of it being morning and was quite warm nestled under her feather comforter. She felt a presence beside her with a warm arm wrapped around her, snuggled against her. It stroked her hair and whispered affectionate words. _Xellos..._ she thought longingly. A minute later, the bed shifted and the springs squeaked as if someone had gotten out of the bed. Filia wanted the comforting presence back and flung her arm out in the direction to stop the presence from going. Her arm dropped and slapped her side. Her eyes shot open and darted around the room to reveal that no one was in there with her. She sat up, confused for a moment.

Who had the presence been? Filia wished it was Xellos with all her heart, but it couldn't have been. He would have never done something like that. Would he? "Xellos," she murmured softly, tears forming in her eyes. A tear ran down her cheek. She laid back down and let sleep claim her for a couple more hours...


	2. It is Better to Have Loved…

Well, I suppose this is another unoriginal X/F fanfiction that is centered in Filia's pottery shop. However, you people seem to like it so I shall continue. Perhaps it will become more original as time passes. 

Kara Metallium !

P.S.: For those of you that reviewed...thanks for the encouragement.

For the disclaimer, see first chapter.

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Chapter 2--It is Better to Have Loved... 

A few days had past since Filia's mysterious dream. She didn't know what to think and shrugged it off to morning sleepiness.

Filia was washing herself in something Jillas called a _shower_. It was quite ingenious really. There was no mess of having to lug water; Jillas had piped water into a small closet and the water poured over the individual and drained out the grate that made up the floor. Filia washed her hair and hummed to herself. She turned the shower off and pulled a towel from outside the door and wrapped it around her body. She stepped out of the shower and walked upstairs.

Her hand was on the door when she heard Val's cry and she rushed into his room, hair soaked still clad in her towel. Lo and behold, there was the trickster priest cuddling, yes cuddling, the infant to quiet down. Filia stood shocked, eyes wide. The priest made faces at the babe and slowly put Val back in his crib, asleep amazingly enough. He looked up with his genki smile. Filia stared for a long while at the smiling priest. Then she turned around, her tail swishing from under her towel (it had appeared at the sight of Xellos), and went into her room and shut the door.

Filia walked jerkily to her bed, and sat down and put her head in her hand, one hand still holding the towel. She stared at the floor deep in thought.

Why was Xellos here? Why was he comforting Val? Why did Val allow himself to be comforted? But really, why WAS Xellos here? Had he come to annoy her? To kill her or Val? Was it a mission or merely something to pass the time? Did he come to see her, the way she imagined him to?

Filia shook her head. If Xellos wanted to kill her, he could have already, unless he was playing some sick twisted game. Filia's head spun at the millions of reasons of why Xellos was here. She stood and moved over to the closet. She smirked as she looked at her dresses. Maybe she should wear something to annoy him. Maybe, she could act as if she was in love with him, it wasn't too far from the truth, right? He could do any number of things. He could find that he couldn't stand her loving presence, and therefore she might scare him off for good. He could ignore it, but how long would he stand a dragon clinging to him? Or he could return the affection, truly or not.

Yes it was a risk, Filia decided. If he toyed with her feelings that could pose a threat, but at least she could actually feel what it felt like to be held by him. It was better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all.

Filia smirked at her clothes in the closet, chose a dress, brushed out her hair (it was practically dry by this time), and dressed. When she opened the door, she glanced into Val's room, but Xellos was gone. She skipped downstairs into the kitchen and started to make tea and food for lunch. A sandwich and a pot of tea was always good. Filia set the sandwich down on the counter and turned away to find a cup for her tea. She opened the cupboard and suddenly heard chewing. She glanced back to find the trickster priest finishing her sandwich.

"Ah, Xellos, care for some tea?" she asked politely. He didn't answer and she took that for an affirmative. Filia retrieved two cups, poured the tea, and set one cup in front of Xellos. He stared at the cup a moment, picked it up and sipped at it. Filia leaned on the counter right across from Xellos, her elbows propping up the cup to her face and she watched him over the cup while sipping her tea.

He didn't seem to be watching her and merely focused on his cup.

"So how's the beastmaster these days?" she asked with conveyed genuine concern. Xellos peaked open his eyes at her. Filia gave him a radiant smile. He shut them. Inside she knew with delight that the only emotions he was getting form her were positive ones.

He smiled at her.

"Oh the beastmaster is fine. How's the fire dragon king?"

She smiled at him.

"I'm afraid he's a little angry at me, so I really don't know."

He sipped his tea.

"And why is that, Miss Filia?"

She sipped her tea and leaned forward over the counter, lowering her voice.

"Oh, because I did something to upset him."

Xellos also leaned over the counter towards her, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"And what is that, Miss Filia?"

"I fell in love."

Xellos raised an eyebrow.

"With who?"

She leaned into whisper in his ear.

"With you."

Filia kissed his cheek and pulled away. A moment later she was leaning against her counter sipping her tea as if she had done nothing at all.

Xellos opened an eye and stared at her. Filia finished her tea and set her cup down and walked upstairs. Filia reached her door and opened it and shut it. She turned around and ran right into Xellos.

Both of his eyes were open and stared down into hers. Strangely enough, Filia felt no fear, only excitement.

"Don't think you're going to get away that easily," he said, closing the distance between them, slamming her against the door, and kissing her.


	3. Exit Stage Left

Here, school has started and with it, I have been drawn back into fanfiction. I'm sorry I haven't written in a while, but I just didn't have any inspiration. Plus, some reviews on my other stories were just plain pissing me off. I enjoy my fiction, but I also enjoy CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. However, since this canon story got lots of reviews with just two chapters, perhaps I should start it up again. I only hope this time, I shall not end up postponing it again. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, I give you yet another installment of "The Crackpot Cafe."

Kara Metallium !

For the disclaimer, see first chapter.

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Chapter 3--Exit Stage Left 

As electric as the kiss was, it lasted but a minute. Filia stared wide-eyed up at Xellos, the sheer force of his kiss evident on her already pouty lips. Her mouth opened to respond, to say anything, but nothing came out. Xellos looked down at her for a moment, as if trying to decide how to proceed. After a moment of hesitation, his gaze undecidedly lingering on her delectable honey-sweet mouth, he shut his eyes and withdrew from her. Filia tried to say something, anything, but Xellos put his finger against her lips to stop her, smirked a bit, and disappeared.

Filia's eyes widened and then closed. She leaned against the door and slid against it to sit on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest.

Well, that had been interesting, to say the least. A shiver of excitement ran down Filia's back as she remembered the minute-kiss. For one whole minute she had been in heaven. Warm, exciting, and completely disillusioning. Then he had withdrawn. It felt as if she had been expelled from heaven. How was she ever to get back?

Xellos stopped in once in a while to see Filia. But by _seeing_ it was meant he merely watched her go about her daily routines while she chatted merrily to him about nothing. It was sort of creepy to have Xellos, yes a mass homicidal killer, sitting at her kitchen counter watching her cook for them or bake goodies for sale or clean the kitchen. He never said a word. Just watched her over a cup of tea, with his genki smile, that seemed to falter when she wasn't looking.

One day, Filia set down to throw some pottery on the wheel. She had just gotten some inspiration. For as all artists know, some days you have it and some days you don't. And when you have IT, you've got to drop all your doing and just go with it.

Twenty minutes later, Filia found herself in the pottery workshop. A bucket of warm water sat by the wheel. Filia cut a slice of the clay from the bin and weighed it. Exactly two pounds. She tossed it onto the worktable. A minute later, another lump followed and made a large _thud!_ on the worktable. Filia looked up. There stood Xellos with a full white apron on like hers and his hair was back in a pink handkerchief. He smiled at her. She stared. A pink handkerchief? She shook her head. He shook his head.

Filia went to the bench and started kneading the clay. Xellos proceeded to do the same thing. And so it went that Xellos copied Filia exactly in every movement and preparation. Lucky for Xellos there was another potter's wheel.

Filia centered her mound of clay easily and glanced over at Xellos. The clay was being temperamental and was zinging around wildly between his hands and the fast moving wheel. Funny enough, the clay ended up spinning completely off the wheel and hitting Xellos in the face. A high pitched giggle escaped Filia as she watched Xellos wipe away clay from his face. And that smirk of his frowned slightly at her merriment. He looked a little indignant and pouted his lips looking endearingly boyish. Filia felt sorry for him.

She stood up and walked over to Xellos. Filia took the end of her apron and wiped the remaining clay from his face. Filia took Xellos's arm and tugged him up and pulled him over to her wheel.

"Sit," she commanded. Xellos looked at her questioningly, but she pointed to the seat nonetheless. "Sit," she insisted. Xellos sat. What followed, whether Filia knew it or not, was Xellos first art lesson. It was pretty obvious he didn't know how to throw pottery, but never to have been taught any kind of art? Sickening really. Filia took Xellos hands in her own, and placed them around the lump of clay that she had already centered. They pushed it slightly off-center. "Now," Filia began, "You have to command the clay. It is something to be molded, yes. It is something that is temperamental, yes. But remember, you are the master. Therefore, it must conform to your will Xellos." She showed him how to keep the clay centered. It didn't take much time because the clay was already mostly centered.

"Now that you have the clay under your control," said Filia, "it will obey you as long as you work it with a strong and guiding hand. If your hand becomes to weak, it will break free of your control. If you hand is too strong, you will crush it under your force." Filia showed Xellos how to put a hole in the center, measure the depth of it, and pull the walls up. She showed him how to make a lip, and even shape the walls to his own fashion. In the end, Xellos had, with Filia's help, made a very successful pot, albeit slightly off center. After this, Xellos and Filia continued making pots the rest of the afternoon in a comfortable silence. The only dialogue between them were the shapes of clay forms under their fingers.

Xellos returned the next afternoon, while Filia was making tea. She handed Xellos a cup and he took it wordlessly. He looked shyly at her from time to time. When they finished their tea, they went into the pottery studio.

"Today," Filia said, "we'll be firing our pots. Usually, they take longer to dry, but since it is a dry season right now, the pieces managed to dry out overnight." Filia walked into the small kiln room at the back. She had already brought the pots back there and was ready to fill the kiln. The kiln itself was four feet in diameter and five feet high. Filia picked up a pot,. as did Xellos and they proceeded to fill the kiln. Xellos brushed her arm as he bent over the edge and placed a pot on the bottom. Filia responded in turn by bending over the edge as far as she could to put the pot at the back of the kiln, causing her dress to rise pretty high on the backs of her thighs. The occasional touches and obvious flirting continued as the kiln was filled. When it was done, Filia closed the top of the kiln carefully and asked Xellos to step back. She revved up a small, but intensely hot fireball and hit the kiln with it. The stone glowed red for a moment and then settled down to a very hot pink.

"And then we leave it to cook for a day," said Filia, ushering Xellos out the door. She closed the door to the kiln room and turned around. Only to find Xellos looking at her with his open eyes glittering at her. "Xellos, what-"

Filia was cut off as he slammed her against the door. Hot lips on top of hers, made her realize just exactly what he had been looking at her for. The kiss soon became more involved as Xellos's mouth opened, causing her to follow suite. Open mouthed kisses with Xellos were delightful. His warm wet tongue flicked across her lips, and her tongue answered in kind. However, every time her little pink tongue tried to catch his, it pulled away suddenly. This game on went for a minute and then Filia growled in frustration through the kisses. Xellos chuckled, a deep purring in his throat and chest that Filia could feel vibrate against her body. She let out a little moan of a sigh. She could feel Xellos smile while kissing her. His hands that had been on either side of her, suddenly lifted off the door behind her, and Xellos backed away from her. He held his palms upward and out to her, as her expression went from dazed to slightly irritated that he had separated them. He smiled at her mysteriously, as was his way, and disappeared.

Filia frowned and blew at piece of hair out of her face. Xellos's inopportune exits were really getting irritating…


	4. Waiting

Thanks to the latest review brought to you by Zif Froz, I have been inspired to sit down my butt down and actually write another installment of this fict. I'm somewhat aware of where the storyline is going, but I had to admit my updates are rather sporadic. This is my second to last week of the semester, so I've got term papers, other papers, exam papers, and exams to study for. I can't promise I'll update soon, but I can promise I will update. However, whenever that is, we shall see.

For the disclaimer, see chapter one.

Kara Metallium !

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Chapter 4--Waiting 

Filia was pissed. Xellos had been gone for a week. Right after the five minutes of heaven that she had blissfully shared with the complex mazoku, he had disappeared. Not a peep was heard from him after.

The walls of the pottery shop quivered from heavy stomping footsteps. Filia's bow adorned tail swished angrily. Why was his absence getting to her? The truth was she missed him. He had scarcely interacted with her in the time that he had been there, but now that he was gone she dreadfully missed him. She sighed and plopped down on a stool next to the counter in the kitchen. Filia stared at the immaculate counter and wondered where Xellos could be. She sighed again. "I miss you…" she said quietly. Silence reigned over the kitchen.

The house and shop felt awfully empty now. It was just her. Gravos had been the first to leave. The bumbling, kind-hearted fool had helped Filia and Jillas build her house and shop. What happy times those had been. Curious villagers wondered at the pretty girl, fox man, and large lizard that stayed together. The villagers had welcomed Filia and hadn't minded Jillas one bit. Gravos was another story. He was very kind to the people of the village, but hadn't the discipline to know when he ought not to be around. As a result, Gravos terrified the children and the adult villagers had asked him to leave. An unhappy look crossed Filia's face. Gravos had left, not wanting to bother the villagers further; the problem was that there weren't many places that a large lizard like himself could go without being called a monster or getting attacked.

Jillas had deeply cared about the large lizard man. They were a team, Jillas and Boss Gravos. The fox man had meant for a while, after the completion of the house and shop to return to Parlu and his mother. It was important to be with his kind. Jillas loved Parlu like a son, and he felt a love toward Parlu's mother. Jillas of course could not explain what this love was, never having been in love himself. Filia smiled remembering how Jillas had tried to describe to her what he felt. She had laughed and patted Jillas on the head. Filia had known. She knew what it was like to be in love. After all, she was in love now.

She looked sad again as her thoughts led her back to Xellos. She tried to remember what had happened after she had talked to Jillas. The events following didn't cheer Filia up at all. Jillas wanted to take care of Gravos and so the fox had left one day a short time after the lizard's farewell. Filia had been in tears, but she had packed him some food for the journey and bid him farewell. She had Valgaav after all and she must keep a stiff upper lip.

A smile traced Filia's pale pink lips. She realized she had Valgaav. While Gravos and Jillas had left her, and seemingly Xellos too, Filia was not alone. She had Valgaav. At that thought, the dragoness rushed up the creaky stairs to Valgaav's room. She opened the door quietly and peeked in. Her heart stopped just a second in the foolish anticipation that Xellos might be there, but it was all for naught. There was Valgaav snuggled in his blankets. His sea green hair contrasted with the sky blue blankets she had made for him. She quietly closed the door and turned around to go down the stairs.

"Missed me?"

A shiver went up the dragoness's back. There stood the obnoxious mazoku with an even more obnoxious grin upon his face. Her stomach started to do flip flops and her pulse sped up. Filia blinked a moment.

"Oh, well hello Xellos." He cracked an eye open.

"Polite today are we?" She crossed her arms.

"Well, you could begin with where you were and why you didn't tell me you be gone for a while."

"Ah…." He closed his eye, "so the ryuzoku missed me I take it?"

"Why are you answering everything I say with a question!" Filia fumed. She pushed past Xellos and went into her room.

"Why? Does it bother you?" the mazoku asked following her in. She whirled on the offending intruder.

"Get out of my room Xellos!" The mazoku grinned again and shut the wooden door behind him. He silently walked up to her. Suddenly Filia felt even jitterier than before and her body temperature shot up. She felt extremely flustered. The mazoku's eyes opened. Filia stared into his hardly ever seen eyes. Glittering amethyst looked down into sparkling sapphire.

"What are you going to do about it Filia?" Filia paused, and before her mind processed logical thought her body reacted. She laid flush up against the mazoku, grabbed his shirt and pulled the mazoku down into what could only be described as a passionate kiss. Her heart hammered against her ribs as the mazoku's arms encircled her and crushed her to him. Tongues danced the warm wet caverns of their mouths. Pouted pink lips repeatedly kissed thin pale ones. Filia's hands somehow made their way up into Xellos's hair. It was silky and soft to the touch. Barely conscious of what her hands were doing they sifted through the mazoku's glossy purple locks. Filia was suddenly conscious of moving hands that moved deftly down her back, paused a moment at the small of her back, and hesistantly reached farther down to cup her bottom.

Filia felt warm and she was incredibly turned on. She purred. A deep chuckling rumbled up through the mazoku's chest and into her mouth. She smiled into their kiss. Suddenly Filia was swept off her feet and carried over to her bed. Xellos laid her down, and immediately lay beside her. His hands stroked her waist and hips as his lips worked some undeniable magic on her neck. She purred again. He chuckled and the air from his laugh blew across her neck sending shivers up his spine. She laughed herself. The mazoku rolled on top of her, caressing her sides and continuing to kiss her neck. His lips finally made their way back up to her delectable honey laden mouth. Xellos pushed closer to her and Filia was suddenly fully aware. Something down there of his had pressed up against hers. Filia paused and as a cue so did Xellos. She was nervous. Filia after all was a virgin.

He tried to get Filia to look at him. She was staring off to the side, nervous and unsure of how to proceed. Xellos put his hand to Filia's cheek and turned her head. Purple eyes peered into her deep blue ones. Her eyes were wet.

"Do you not want me Filia?" he asked softly, so quietly that it barely registered in her mind. A tear slid down her cheek.

"I…" she paused, "I don't know. I've never done this before." Xellos pulled away and laid beside her. He pulled her to him, her back up against his chest. He leaned over and whispered into her ear.

"Then I will wait."

Filia suddenly felt immensely better, and happier for that matter. She snuggled against Xellos, who pulled the blanket over them. The ryuzoku and mazoku settled in for a nap.


	5. The Inevitable

First of all this is an INVOLVED chapter. Therefore, if you are not old enough to be reading things under MATURE content you shouldn't be reading this. TURN BACK NOW!

Now that all those darned under-aged kids are gone, let's get on with business. I decided not to be too explicit about the interaction between Xellos and Filia. I feel like (A) it would take away greatly from this work which I am not trying to write a harlequin romance here and (B) if I really mentioned any body parts even if it's a throbbing (it rhymes with ember) I'd like to abide by the rules of But it is mainly reason A.

Well anyways, on to the story! For the disclaimer, see first chapter.

Kara Metallium !

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Chapter Five—The Inevitable 

Filia was dimly aware of it being morning and was quite warm nestled under her feather comforter. She felt a presence beside her with a warm arm wrapped around her, snuggled against her. It stroked her hair and whispered affectionate words. "Xellos," she thought longingly. An alarm went off inside Filia's head. _It's déjà vu._ "Xellos!" she yelled panicking and sitting upright and consequently pushing the object beside her off the bed. _Thump!_ went the shape.

"Itai….why are dragons always so violent? Even when they wake up?"

Filia looked over the side of the bed. There was Xellos lying on the floor, lying on his stomach, face smashed into the wooden floor boards. She snootily upturned her nose and replied, "Because certain monsters are exactly upstanding citizens, that's why."

"Itai…" Filia looked at him again.

"Xellos, why don't you just sit up instead of laying there in that uncomfortable position?"

"Because," Xellos sighed, "I was hoping, being the upstanding moral citizen that you are, that you'd help me up off the floor where you so kindly deposited me." She smiled lightly and giggled.

"Very well, but only because you complimented me so nicely."

* * *

Filia had some grocery shopping to do that day, so Xellos agreed to go with her to the market in the next village over. From the moment she stepped out of the shop, Filia knew the day was going to be cold, but being the headstrong dragoness she was she decided to forgo retrieving her cloak from the closet and forged on ahead with Xellos. Who, thanks to mazoku like tendencies, had rather strong resilience to adverse environments. Not that he couldn't feel anything, she mused, but rather that he just tolerated it as any monster would.

The day was rather pretty because it was late fall. The air, at that point, was quite cool. Leaves hung on nearly bare trees and huge piles of leaves in assorted warm colors littered the ground. The sky was a light blue, with a few wispy clouds rather high up in the atmosphere and the sun was very bright. It cast dark shadows beneath their walking forms from directly overhead. The dragoness and mazoku communicated amicably as they walked along the rather wide flat path to the next village over.

* * *

"Baka!" Filia chided herself. It was cold. Correction, it was DAMN cold. Filia now wished for the warmth that her cloak would have afforded her. If only she hadn't been so stubborn before. Now she had to walk back to the other village with Xellos, who was fine with the temperature by the way, with their arms full. She shivered violently and the large bag she carried toppled out of her arms, sending the late fall produce of apples, onions, potatoes, and squash rolling along the path. A particularly large pumpkin fell into the shallow ditch covering it with flecks of mud. If Filia hadn't been a former priestess of the fire dragon king, she might have cursed his name. As it was, her deep-rooted upbringing brought another oath to her lips. "Shabranigdo be DAMNED!" 

Xellos, who up until this point, had only been content to stare at Filia's misfortune and smirk as her delicious irritation fed him a delectable meal. His expression turned to one of confusion and he blinked twice.

"Filia…"

"Yes Xellos?" she was a little more than irritated.

"Shabranigdo IS already damned." That caught her with surprise. Then she turned to him in a snarl of indignation.

"I know THAT!" He smiled drolly, more to himself than her. "Well?" she demanded getting on her hands and knees to pick up the spilled goods.

"Yes Filia?"

"Are you going to help me pick these up or what?" He smirked.

"No." She cursed his name and picked up all the rest of the produce and put it in the bag. As she stood up to stretch her back, which popped a few kinks out, she shivered violently again.

"Argh! It's so cold!" She was unaware that her voice betrayed a whimper. Xellos's eyes danced. He set down his own package next to Filia's and walked to her side. She looked to him questioningly and he smiled. Next thing Filia knew, she was tucked in his arms, with his customary cloak around both of them. She snuggled appreciatively into the warmth. They stood contentedly that way for a few minutes, until Filia's ears detected a sound. It sounded like the rattle of a wagon, and it was approaching from the direction of the village they had just left. It came closer, but Filia paid it no mind as she leaned against Xellos. The sound stopped directly in front of them.

She looked up to find a kindly woman looking down at them. She, by human terms, looked a few years older than Filia. The unknown woman smiled.

"You look so cold," she said, "how about a ride? You're headed to the next village right?" She cocked her head in that direction.

"Yes! Yes we are!" Filia said relieved.

* * *

Later after they had arrived back at the shop and put away the groceries. Filia and Xellos had a quiet dinner and retired to bed early.

The bedroom was only lit with candles. The shadows of Filia and Xellos danced an ancient dance across the walls. A preempt of what was to come. Xellos was the first to make a move. He glided across the room in his own mazoku like way, smooth and silently. He made little noise sitting down on Filia's well made bed. Amethyst eyes caught sapphire ones.

"Filia." Her name spoken with question, longing, desire, and something else. It conveyed in sound what the eyes asked. Come to him. Filia's heart was fluttering. His dark eyes bored into hers. Come to me. The silent request made her all the more flustered. Unsteadily she took a step toward him and then another. Before Filia knew it, she had crossed the room to the seductive dark mazoku. He patted the bed beside him. Quite innocent the gesture in and of itself, but filled with implied meaning behind it. She sat. Her tail swishing nervously, bumping against her calves.

His violet eyes stared into hers. Depths so deep were his eyes. Hidden from view the knowledge built up from over a millennium of existence. How many others had Xellos been with in that span of time? Filia suddenly felt intimidated and nervous. Why would Xellos, the trickster priest, so old compared to her, be interested in an ill-mannered, selfish dragon like her? Why did Xellos want her? Surely, this wasn't a game, was it?

Soft glove tips touched her chin, pulling it up to meet those violet eyes once again. Her heart quickened its beat. Those eyes came closer and noses softly bumped one another. _Why_—her thoughts cut off as warm soft lips covered over hers. Soft but tender was his kiss. She kissed him back steadily. Mouths opened and a dance of warm wet tongues ensued. Time seemed to speed up as his kisses became more demanding and insistent. His hands caressed both sides of her face. He pulled her to him and over top of him as he slid back to lie on the bed. Their mouths never separated all this while.

Filia felt somewhat confident lying atop Xellos. His hands caressing her sides as she hungrily kissed him. He rolled her over so she was underneath him. He started to shed his gloves and the cloak he always wore, along with the bag he kept tied to his waist and his shoes quickly followed. Xellos smiled with a glint in his eye as he removed her shoes. His hands, warm and flexible slid up her calves, past her knees, caressed the inner part of her thighs before sliding back down her legs bringing the stockings she always wore with them.

He covered her again with his body and kissed her passionately. Each kissing deepening, until Filia was sure that nothing could surpass those kisses. His fingers tickled her sides. Her own hands, which had remained motionless up until this point sprang into action. They gingerly slid up the sides of his hips to the sides of his torso and stayed there drawing unknown patterns on the soft cream colored material of his shirt. Xellos pulled back from kissing her, without looking into her eyes she noted, and drew away the hair from the side of her neck. He looked concentrated and serious. The mazoku's eyes flicked to hers a moment before focusing on a point in her neck again and then he went in for the kill.

At the first kiss, Filia shivered as a chill went down her spine. At the second, she became incredibly relaxed. At the third kiss, she knew that despite her decision before, now she truly wanted the dark mazoku to possess, to fill her, and to give her, a dragon of over three hundred years of life, had yet to experience. Her hands, which had paused at his sides, began to knead the flesh through his shirt, and as Xellos nipped her neck her fingers clenched his sides. Her slim fingers slid up to his chest and pushed. Xellos stopped what he was doing and sat back on his knees. She smiled slightly and tugged at his shirt.

Xellos smiled too as he slid his shirt off over his head. What Filia saw there in the candlelight of the room gave her pause and took her breath away. She had never been a judge of a male's body, but she liked what she saw. Broad shoulders gave way to a well toned chest and even better toned abdominal muscles. She could tell that despite his slim torso he had a muscular build without much definition on the surface. _Well, what do you expect for a projected physical body? He can take any form he likes!_ the anti-mazoku part of her mind shouted, but it was just a whisper now, so deep were her feelings for the ancient dark mazoku.

Xellos, by this point, had taken advantage of Filia's preoccupation with his body, and started to slide his hands up her legs under her dress. She realized what he was doing, sat up a bit, and the material easily slipped over her head.

Filia suddenly felt very vulnerable, just lying there beneath the powerful mazoku with only her bra and panties to adorn her. His eyes flicked over her being, staring hard at her. No part of her body left their scrutiny. Filia felt as if she was one of Jillas's experiments.

Before she could think anymore, Xellos was kissing her again. Fingers dancing over her sides, lips kissing her insistently. His tongue plundered her mouth and possessed it. His teeth nipped at her lips. His fingers slid up and she felt light feathery touches to her breasts. Her heart pounded and she felt extremely warm and excited down below. Xellos ground his hips into hers, which took away what little breath she had left from his hot kisses. She was unsure of what to do. But his hands covered over her breasts and her hips bucked. Liking the feeling, she did it again. Soon she was participating in the dance that Xellos had initiated.

Xellos slowed his movements and stared into her eyes a moment. He leaned down and shared a long deep kiss with her. Then he moved his lips to her ear.

"Do you want me Filia?" He brought his head back to stare into her eyes. She stopped and hesitated. She returned the stare of his eyes.

"Yes."


	6. Cold, Warm, Empty

At last, here is the long awaited sixth chapter of the Crackpot Cafe. Man, its been a long time...

Kara Metallium !

* * *

Chapter Six--Cold, Warm, Empty 

Filia woke up shivering in a cold sweat. She tried to rise up, but was held back by something. She turned and saw Xellos's body bathed in moonlight. She looked more closely and saw a glint of amethyst.

"What is it Filia?" his velvety voice asked, causing ripples in the silence of the night. She shivered from head to toe and whimpered.

"Cold." One word and a moment later Filia found herself whisked back under the covers pulled tightly against his warm body. She trembled against his hard warm body, but eventually she succumbed to the warmth and fell back asleep against him

* * *

_Warm_…was Filia's first thought as she achieved consciousness the next morning. She laid there enjoying the warmth and then as her mind slowly woke up more she attempted to open her eyes. This succeeded in her immediately shutting them. _Bright_. With a little more coaxing of adjusting her eyes to the light the image of her room came into view as did the very bright window that the sun filtered through. A slight breeze blew the gauzy white curtains. She moved a little bit and attempted to sit up but an arm quickly wrapped around her and brought her back to bed. _Xellos?_ She questioned. 

She turned around in its grasp and faced the mazoku. Shiny purple hair gleamed in the light and his face looked utterly calm. She was fascinated staring at his, what seemed to be sleeping, expressionless face. Filia considered for a moment that it was merely all an act, due to the arm earlier; however, that did not stop her from lifting her hand and carefully tracing her fingers over his face. She started at the eyebrows and traced their outlines, and then down the bridge of his nose. She brushed his hair back from his face and ran her finger through the fine silky hair, only for his short hair fall in his face again. Her index finger traced his warm soft lips once, then twice, and at the third time mouth opened and took her finger inside. Gently sucking on it his luminous eyes opened and stared directly into hers. Filia heard herself take in a sharp breath.

He was beautiful. There was no denying. Days ago Filia had thought she didn't have a chance in hell with Xellos, and yet here he was. Impulsively she had tried to provoke him, and she had succeeded. She, a former priestess of the fire dragon king, had managed to seduce and bed a top ranking mazoku in just a handful of days. Filia had no finesse with men, never had. She was headstrong, self-righteous, and any male that had even attempted to get past that strong exterior had his ass kicked with her strong devotion to her god and commitment to virginity. And now, a dragoness that had maintained abstinence for nearly three hundred years was in the bed of not a dragon, not a human, but a mazoku of all beings. Filia was not sure how this had happened, but indeed it had. And she had fallen deeply for the dark mazoku. There was nothing in the world that could tear her away from him at this point. Nothing.

Which is why, with those amethyst eyes looking into hers, Filia felt her eyes become wet and her lower lip trembled. His eyes stared emotionlessly at her, almost fascinated by her emotional display. She wondered why he wasn't doing anything, and felt shame and stupidity for crying in the arms of the most beautiful being she had ever beheld. But those thoughts were followed by a knitting of eyebrows on his part and Xellos brought a hand to her face, cupped it, and wiped away those tears that threatened to flow from her eyes. "Shh…" he murmured softly.

_Why is he doing this?_ Filia asked herself. Her self doubts nagged viciously at her insides. She was nothing special to look at. She was a prudish, stuck-up, rather selfish dragon and no one would ever want to be with her. How could Xellos, who could have anyone he wanted, assuming he wanted someone, choose her? More tears threatened to flow and her throat choked. Xellos brought a finger to her lips and pressed against it. Her eyes shot to his face again.

_Beautiful._ That one word repeated in her mind a million times in one moment. To her, Xellos was the true embodiment of everything she could hope to ever have. She snuggled into his chest and sobbed, with the mazoku holding her and attempting to quiet her, assuring her that there was no reason to cry.

* * *

When Filia had finally calmed down and the odd mazoku/dragon couple had sat down to breakfast, Xellos suddenly got a serious look on his face. 

"What is it?" Filia questioned him. He sighed.

"It's Mistress Beastmaster." Filia was startled. _Not now!_ She thought. Her attention snapped back to Xellos at his movement. She saw his bag that he usually wore at his side materialize in his hands. And from it he pulled a smaller bag. She stared curiously as he handed it to her. "I want you to have this," he said quietly handing her the small bag.

She took it in her hands and opened the bag. From it she removed a curious red stone set as a pendant on a silver chain. It looked curiously like the same red jewels on the clasp of his cape and the jewel of his staff. Her eyes flicked to his closed ones questioningly, but he merely smiled.

"Now I must go Filia."

"But when will you be back?"

"When I can." And with that one noncommittal statement, that shook Filia to her unstable emotional core, the dark mazoku disappeared from his seat with the sound that generally accompanied his teleportation. Filia looked at the seat transfixed and when she managed to shake herself from her stupor she put the necklace on around her neck and underneath her clothing next to her heart. It nestled safely between her breasts. She vowed never to take it off. And with that one thought her eyes fell on the chair that the mazoku had occupied only moments before. Filia felt a rush of emotion overtake her, and in one abrupt movement she put her head in her hands and sobbed.


	7. Naked

Hrm...perhaps you guys are getting spoiled with such a recent update, as it were. Here's yet another chapter.

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, only this storyline.

Kara Metallium !

* * *

Chapter 7 -- Naked 

The tall lithe figure of a dragoness stood at a counter chopping vegetables.

A rather crooked carrot was thrown on the cutting board and mercilessly skinned of its outer layer. Sapphire orbs gazed at the naked vegetable, looking rather forlorne on the cutting board by itself. The pair of eyes closed and a deep sigh was released as if in pain. Filia handled the carrot and stared at it in thought. It had been several months since Xellos had left on that fateful day. Filia purposely had her back turned to the table that Xellos and she had sat at sharing a quiet breakfast. She refused to look at the chair that had held his earthly form leaving absolutely no residue behind from his occupation of it. Filia avoided the chair that she had sat in for quite sometime sobbing with her head in her hands wishing with every inch of her existence that the dark mazoku would return. Filia was rather alone and vulnerable, just like the carrot she had now mercilessly begun to chop.

Her movements slowed and her head nodded forward with her buttery golden hair making a curtain around her face. At this point, she reasoned she probably would cry. She wanted to cry, she really did. It had been months without a single word from the mazoku. Pining away for his presence had made her all that more pathetic. Her days had passed quietly, seeming too long for even herself to count. Each day repeated itself somehow. Filia cleaned her house, took care of Val, and cooked. There was nothing really else to her days. She couldn't bring herself to step into her pottery workshop, let alone actually throw something. Her heart ached when she slept in her own bed. Her soft sheets, warm and cocooning her did nothing to ease her emptiness. They mocked her in attempting to comfort her in place of the mazoku she so desperately wanted to see. Indeed, Filia could barely go anywhere in her house without thinking of the dark mazoku. Even Val's bedroom was no sanctuary, for every time Filia opened the door she expected to see glossy purple hair, closed eyes, and a genki smile. Indeed probably the least painful of all rooms was the kitchen. It was the first place that Filia had made a move that had started the ball rolling in the relationship between the dragon and the monster. And it was the last place that Xellos had occupied before leaving Filia to her vicious inner demons.

Filia didn't really expect Xellos to think about her, nor suddenly show up and console her. Indeed the ryuzoku wanted more from her dark lover than he could ever probably give her. Xellos was an illusive shadow, as it were, and nothing could pin him down. Though, Filia thought with a wry smile, a shadow snap might do the trick.

After Xellos had left, Filia had moped around for entirely two weeks. Nothing could bring her to do much of anything. She didn't eat, though she fed Val enough, only L-sama knew how he was growing. She slept for hours on end. The house became filthy without its routine cleaning every day. Dirty dishes piled in the sink from Val's meals.

One day, Filia had awoken late in the day, as usual, and had padded downstairs to start some food for Val. Yet, when she had reached the kitchen the light flooded through the window and illuminated the kitchen in harsh light. The place was filthy. Filia felt a sort of strength flood her and anger swept over her. This anger motivated Filia in everything. She cared and played with Val. She cleaned her house according to her strict regimen. After about a month of this furious fire, Filia felt a desire to go to her pottery lab and finally begin to throw pottery again.

Filia closed her eyes and threw her head back as she remembered. Her palm extended out and pushed against the rough mahogany door and it swung outward on its squeaky hinges. A sparse amount of light illuminated the room from the small horizontal windows at the top of the walls of the room. She noticed everything was covered in almost a fine layer of dust. The light flashed and settled on the seat by the wheel. She stared at the twin wheels and seats and a sharp pain shot through her. She tore her eyes away from the sight and looked beyond to the cracked open door to the kiln room. She looked at the door and suddenly remmebered her back thrust against it with Xellos hungrily kissing her with those vibrantly intense eyes. A sob had risen in her throat as she tried to keep down her histeria. Filia pulled the door shut with a sudden bang and hadn't touched the door since.

After that incident, Filia had settled into a quiet depression. She no longer cried. She no longer got frustrated. Indeed an overwhelming sense of emptiness had settled within her and had left her in a barren, almost zombie-like state. Nothing really mattered and Filia found herself going through the motions of everyday mediocrity.

"Filia." The dragoness blinked and sliced into her finger. She stared at her finger and the knife for a moment before removing the knife from the wound and holding the finger up to examine it closer. The red blood began to pool about the wound. The red was intense and sharply contrasted against the paleness of her hand.

"Filia." She blinked. Surely that wasn't Xellos was it? He couldn't, wouldn't be here. Now she was hearing voices…

"Filia." A hand pulled the object of her inspection away from her face. She looked up to find the familiar face of the dark mazoku who had haunted her days. His eyes peaked open in an unreadable expression.

She stared dumbfounded at Xellos for a moment, and the next moment she was hugging him with a ferocity that would have surprised even the most vicious of dragons.


End file.
